Recommended Resources

Local Businesses

• Yi Fang Imports - on the Plaza in Arcata (on the Hotel Arcata side).
  Iimports from the Far and Middle East, including student-quality finger cymbals, costume accessories, coin scarves, skirts, tops, bindis, and more.
• L. Rose Designs - local and fabulous. (707) 825-7759 or www.lrosedesigns.com
  My mom's wonderful business that makes everything custom for YOU... full catalog available for mail order. She has an open house 2x a year in Jan/Feb and Sept.
• Talisman - on F between 2nd & 3rd in Old Town, Eureka
  Beads, international imports... sometimes they have pretty things for dancers!
• Threadbare Dancewear - above Plaza Design on the Plaza in Arcata.
  This is one of those stores I call "dangerous" because I want to buy everything!
• Mosaic Productions - www.redwoodcoastbellydance.com
  Local producer of Redwood Coast Bellydance Festival & lots of cool concerts.

Workout / Classwear

• L. Rose Designs - local and fabulous. (707) 825-7759 or www.lrosedesigns.com
• Threadbare Dancewear - above Plaza Design on the Plaza in Arcata.

Hip Scarves

• Yi Fang Imports - on the Plaza in Arcata (on the Hotel Arcata side).
• Ebay - look often! So many of my students have found GREAT things here.
• Aliah's Closet - www.aliahscloset.com
• Horus & Isis Company - www.horusandisis.com
• Shimmy Shimmy - www.shimmyshimmy.com

Finger Cymbals

• L. Rose Designs (707) 825-7759 or www.lrosedesigns.com
  Student cymbals perfect for learning and performing with a class. $8 small, $12 large.
• Saroyan Zils - www.saroyanzils.com
  High quality finger cymbals for when you're ready to really sound good.

Music

• Hollywood Music Center - www.hollywoodmusiccenter.com
• Maqam.com - www.maqam.com
• Music of Lebanon - www.musicoflebanon.com
• Rashid Sales - www.rashid.com
• Metro CD's & Tapes - on the Plaza in Arcata - local!
• Borders - in the Bayshore Mall, Eureka
  Check out the international section for all sorts of great finds.
• Amazon - www.amazon.com

Veils

• L. Rose Designs (707) 825-7759 or www.lrosedesigns.com
  Lightweight silk and chiffon veils of any length or shape (half circle, rectangle, etc.). The average veil is a 3 yard rectangle, although many of Shoshanna's students first learn to use a 4 yard veil!

Magazines & Newsletters

• Habibi
• The Chronicles
• Zaghareet
• Jareeda
• Gilded Serpent - online magazine
• Bhuz.com
• San Francisco Bay Area MECDA Chapter Newsletter

Books

• Al-Rawi, Rosina-Fawzia. Grandmother’s Secrets. Interlink Publishing: Northhampton, MA 1999
• Buonaventura, Wendy. The Serpent and the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World. Interlink Books: New York 1989.
• Carlton, Donna. Looking for Little Egypt. IDD Books: Bloomington, IN 1994.
• Djoumahna, Kajira. The Tribal Bible. BlackSheep Books: Santa Rosa, CA 1999.
• Richards, Tazz, ed. The Belly Dance Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dance. Backbeat Press: Concord, CA 2000. Niuwkerk,
• Karin van. A Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt. University of Texas Press: Austin, TX 1995.
• Stewart, Iris. Sacred Women, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual. Inner Traditions Intl. Ltd. 2000.

Performance Videos

• Any of the IAMED Awards Videos (or any of their other performance videos) are excellent well-produced collections of top-notch performers. Many of the most highly regarded dancers and troupes have participated in their various shows.
  Visit www.bellydance.org to learn more.
• Also, the wonderful By Dancers For Dancers dvd's produced by Michelle Joyce. Oh! You can even purchase volume 2 on this website... how convenient. Just go to the dvd page.

Instructional Videos
My philosophy regarding videos is that a live person teaching you is the best way to learn (especially for a beginner), but that videos can be a great suppliment to your dance education, and can introduce you to new teachers, styles, and techniques. I recommend you get videos of a more advanced level because you are already exposed to a good technical foundation in my classes, and since videos are costly, you probably would like to be able to draw from them for a long time.

At this time I recommend the more challenging videos offered by:

• Hadia - she's fantastic - www.hadia.com
• Jillina - www.jillina.com
• Suhaila Salimpour - www.suhaila.com
• Aziza's new practice companion DVD - www.azizashimmy.com

If you find videos you value as a student please let me know and I'll list them, too!

Documentaries

• American Bellydancer (produced by the Bellydance Superstars)
• A new Tribal documentary coming out soon...

Informational & Cultural Websites
- see links page -- there are many!